Barry Rist was one of our earliest tattooed players, but his artwork was no mere window dressing.

In one match against St Kilda in the early 1960s, Rist took on the fearsome figure of Eric Guy, widely renowned as one of the toughest men in football. So angry did the Saints' crowd become that one of their fans hurled a full can of beer at him. Murray Weideman picked it up, gave it to Barry and said they'd 'save it' for after the game. 

Footballers were certainly made of tough stuff back then.

Barry was as tough and uncompromising as they come. But he also had plenty of talent and a good nose for goals, averaging just under a goal a game from his 21 senior games. He also played 33 with the seconds and a further 24 with the under-19s in his five years at Victoria Park.

After he left the Magpies, Rist spent a year at Coburg in the VFA before going bush to coach Ariah Park in the South Western District League in NSW, and later Ardlethan in the same League.

While with Ardlethan he endured a serious life scare. In 1969 he had to pull out of his team's preliminary final because of breathing difficulties - no small concession for a tough man who was playing coach of the team. But the move was vindicated when subsequent tests revealed he had Hodgkins Disease. He underwent chemotherapy and was told he would never work or play football again.

Remarkably, he was back on the playing fields the very next year. Soon after that he returned to Melbourne, where he enjoyed a wonderful career at suburban level, punctuated by three further seasons in the VFA with Preston. On either side of that stint he became a famous figure in the Diamond Valley Football League, coaching teams to four flags - two with Lalor, one with Templestowe and the other with Watsonia.

Barry Rist was a strong, fearless footballer. But as his successful battle with cancer showed, he was just as courageous and tough off the field as he was on it.

- Michael Roberts